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Old 12-15-2008, 02:46 PM   #10
interesteddad
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 8,084
Quote:
Due to the flexibility of common application prompts, “you would get students writing on topics that really didn’t tell us much about themselves,” Nesbitt said.
There's a simple way to deal with applicants who send boring common app essays: don't mail them acceptance letters! It's not the fault of the common app prompts if a dull applicant can't manage to write something interesting in response to a totally open prompt.

Quote:
The additional personal statement is meant to change this. “The idea is really to see what students value and what’s important to them,” he said.
No problem. Just give a prompt that different than the Common App prompts. As it stands now, a Williams applicant was to write Open Ended Prompt Esssay #1 for the Common App and Open Ended Prompt Essay #2 for the Supplement.

They thought they were being cute with a UChicago-style prompt; however, they failed to take into consideration the common app prompts.
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